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Abolitionism: A Very Short Introduction
Richard S. Newman
The abolitionist movement launched the global human rights struggle in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, redefining the meaning of equality throughout the Atlantic world. In the ...
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The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction
Charles L. Cohen
Connected by their mutual—if differentiated—veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam compose a family of related traditions. The Abrahamic ...
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Accounting: A Very Short Introduction
Christopher Nobes
If you read the ‘business pages’ of a newspaper or if you listen to the financial news on the television or radio, you will often hear terms such as ‘liability’, ‘balance sheet’ or ...
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Adam Smith: A Very Short Introduction
Christopher J. Berry
In 1776, Adam Smith (1723–90) wrote The Wealth of Nations, the foundational book that led to him being called the ‘father of economics’. However, Adam Smith was far more than an economist. ...
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Adolescence: A Very Short Introduction
Peter K Smith
Adolescence is a turbulent period to live through. Marking the transition from the world of childhood to adult life, the adolescent faces many challenges and opportunities, including ...
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Advertising: A Very Short Introduction
Winston Fletcher
Advertising: A Very Short Introduction dispels the myths surrounding the advertising industry. Advertising is a diverse entity, and campaigns work (or fail to work) in a ...
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Aesthetics: A Very Short Introduction
Bence Nanay
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste. It doesn’t just consider traditional artistic experiences such as artworks in a museum or an opera ...
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African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction
Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction explores the history and circumstances of African American religion through three examples: conjure, African American ...
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African History: A Very Short Introduction
John Parker and Richard Rathbone
African History: A Very Short Introduction looks at Africa's past and reflects on the changing ways it has been imagined and represented by examining the unity and diversity of ...
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African Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Ian Taylor
African Politics: A Very Short Introduction explores how politics is practised on the African continent, providing an overview of the different states and their systems. It ...
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African Religions: A Very Short Introduction
Jacob K. Olupona
African Religions: A Very Short Introduction offers a wide-ranging look at the myriad indigenous religious traditions on the African continent, drawing on archeological ...
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Ageing: A Very Short Introduction
Nancy A. Pachana
Ageing: A Very Short Introduction discusses the lifelong dynamic changes in biological, psychological, and social functioning involved in ageing. Increased lifespans have ...
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Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction
Robin Le Poidevin
Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction asks if there is more to agnosticism than merely the absence of belief. What is agnosticism? Who were the first to call themselves ...
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Agriculture: A Very Short Introduction
Paul Brassley and Richard Soffe
Agriculture: A Very Short Introduction explains what farmers do and why they do it. Beginning with the most basic resource, the soil, it shows why it is important, and how ...
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Albert Camus: A Very Short Introduction
Oliver Gloag
Albert Camus is one of the best known philosophers of the twentieth century, as well as a widely read novelist. Active in the first half of the twentieth century, his views contributed to ...
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Alexander the Great: A Very Short Introduction
Hugh Bowden
Alexander the Great: A Very Short Introduction demonstrates the profound influence the legends of Alexander's life have had on our historical understanding of him by focusing ...
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Algebra: A Very Short Introduction
Peter M. Higgins
Algebra marked the beginning of modern mathematics, moving it beyond arithmetic, which involves calculations featuring given numbers, to problems in which some quantities are unknown. Now, ...
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American Cultural History: A Very Short Introduction
Eric Avila
American Cultural History: A Very Short Introduction provides a chronological look at American culture—the values, attitudes, beliefs, and myths of a particular society and the ...
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American Foreign Relations: A Very Short Introduction
Andrew Preston
For better or worse, be it militarily, politically, economically, technologically, or culturally, Americans have had a profound impact on the wider world beyond them. American Foreign ...
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American History: A Very Short Introduction
Paul S. Boyer
American History: A Very Short Introduction spans the earliest migrations to the present looking at the United States's failures to live up to its oft-stated ideals. The ...
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American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction
David A. Gerber
American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction examines the many legal efforts to curb immigration and to define who is and is not an American. It looks at immigration from ...
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American Legal History: A Very Short Introduction
G. Edward White
Law has played a central role in American history. From colonial times to the present, law has reflected the changing society in which legal decisions have been made and has played a ...
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American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction
Craig L. Symonds
American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction charts the history of the United States Navy from its birth during the American Revolution, through its emergence as a global ...
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American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
L. Sandy Maisel
American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction examines the electoral process in the United States and explains why it is widely misunderstood. Why is participation in ...
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American Politics: A Very Short Introduction
Richard M. Valelly
American Politics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the vital elements of American politics. Using an historical-institutional approach, it explains how the American ...
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The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Charles O. Jones
The Founding Fathers were dedicated to the project of creating an American government both functional and incapable of devolving into tyranny. To do this, they intentionally decentralized ...
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The American Revolution: A Very Short Introduction
Robert J. Allison
Between 1760 and 1800, the American people cast off British rule to create a new nation and a radically new form of government based on the idea that people have the right to govern ...
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American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction
Heather Andrea Williams
American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction traces the development of American slavery, from the Portuguese capture of Africans in the 1400s until its abolition following the ...
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The American West: A Very Short Introduction
Stephen Aron
The American West: A Very Short Introduction tracks “the West” from the building of the Cahokia Mounds around 900 ad, through early encounters with Europeans, to the Newlands ...
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American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction
Susan Ware
What does U.S. history look like with women at the center of the story? From Pocahantas to military women serving in the Iraq war, American Women's History: A Very Short Introduction ...
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Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction
Aidan O'Donnell
Anaesthesia: A Very Short Introduction examines the modern anaesthetic practice. Anaesthesia is a mysterious and sometimes threatening process. What is anaesthesia? How is it ...
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Analytic Philosophy: A Very Short introduction
Michael Beaney
Analytic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction introduces some of the key ideas of the founders of analytic philosophy—Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore, Ludwig ...
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Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction
Colin Ward
Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction explores key anarchist thinkers from Kropotkin to Chomsky and considers anarchism from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, historical, ...
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Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction
Karen Radner
Assyria was one of the most influential kingdoms of the Ancient Near East. Ancient Assyria: A Very Short Introduction sketches the history of Assyria from city state to empire, from the ...
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Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction
Ian Shaw
Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction describes how our current ideas about Egypt are based not only on the thrilling discoveries made by early Egyptologists but also on ...
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Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: A Very Short Introduction
Christina Riggs
What did Egyptian art and architecture mean to the people who first made and used it—and why has it had such an enduring appeal? Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture: A Very Short ...
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Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction
Paul Cartledge
Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction takes the polis as its starting point and uses the history of eleven major Greek cities to illuminate the most important and ...
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The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction
Amanda H. Podany
The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction describes a momentous time in human history and explains why the ancient Near East is known as the ‘cradle of civilization’. ...
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Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
Julia Annas
Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction introduces ancient debates and focuses on important and revealing features of the subject providing a sense of its freshness and ...
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Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction
Harry Sidebottom
Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction examines all aspects of ancient warfare, from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. How did wars shape ...
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Angels: A Very Short Introduction
David Albert Jones
Angels: A Very Short Introduction outlines prominent stories and speculations about angels in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and post-Christian spiritualties. What are angels? ...
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Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction
Mark Chapman
Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction highlights the diversity of contemporary Anglicanism by exploring its history, theology, and structures. Although originally united by ...
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The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction
John Blair
The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction covers the era from the emergence of the earliest English settlements around the year ad 450 to the Norman victory in 1066 ...
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Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction
Tristram D. Wyatt
How animals behave is crucial to their survival and reproduction. Animal Behaviour: A Very Short Introduction discusses how animal behaviour has evolved, how behaviours develop in each ...
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The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction
Peter Holland
The Animal Kingdom: A Very Short Introduction presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals, this VSI goes on to show the high-level ...
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Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction
David DeGrazia
Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction explores the implications for how we should treat animals in connection with our diet, zoos, and research. Most people are opposed to ...
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The Antarctic: A Very Short Introduction
Klaus Dodds
Antarctic: A Very Short Introduction provides a modern account of Antarctica, highlighting the main issues facing the continent today, looks at how the Antarctic has been ...
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Anthropocene: A Very Short Introduction
Erle C. Ellis
Humanity’s impact on the planet has been profound. From fire, intensive hunting, and agriculture, it has accelerated into rapid climate change, widespread pollution, plastic accumulation, ...
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Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Steven Beller
Antisemitism, as hatred of Jews and Judaism, has been a central problem of Western civilization for millennia. Antisemitism: A Very Short Introduction untangles the history of the ...
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Anxiety: A Very Short Introduction
Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman
Anxiety: A Very Short Introduction explains what anxiety is, why it is a normal and vital part of our emotional life, and the factors that cause it. Are we born with fears or ...
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The Apocryphal Gospels: A Very Short Introduction
Paul Foster
The Apocryphal Gospels: A Very Short Introduction explores their origins, discovery, and discusses how the various texts have been interpreted both by the Church and beyond. ...
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Applied Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction
Alain Goriely
Mathematics is playing an increasingly important role in society and the sciences, enhancing our ability to use models and handle data. Applied Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction ...
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Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction
Fergus Kerr
Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction is an introduction to this early thirteenth century Italian Catholic priest's work. Placing Aquinas in an historical context, it ...
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Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Paul Bahn
Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction reflects on the enduring popularity of archaeology — a subject which encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. ...
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Architecture: A Very Short Introduction
Andrew Ballantyne
Architecture: A Very Short Introduction provides a highly original and sophisticated look at architecture and helps us to understand the cultural significance of the buildings ...
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Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction
William Doyle
Aristocracy: A Very Short Introduction shows how ideas of aristocracy originated in ancient times, were transformed in the middle ages, and have only fallen apart over the last ...
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Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction
Jonathan Barnes
Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction argues that Aristotle’s influence on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. His various doctrines and beliefs were ...
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Art History: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Dana Arnold
Art history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture, and the other visual arts. Art History: A Very Short Introduction considers the issues, debates, and ...
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Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction
Cynthia Freeland
In today's art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction discusses beauty, blood, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, ...
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Artificial Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction
Margaret A. Boden
The applications of Artificial Intelligence lie all around us and affect all aspects of our lives. The results of Artificial Intelligence have been invaluable to biologists, psychologists, ...
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Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction
Madeline Y. Hsu
Asians have migrated to North America for centuries, in search of opportunities and conveyed by increasingly dense, international circuits of trade, labor markets, and family networks. ...
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Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
David C. Catling
What fascinates people about astrobiology is that it seeks answers to long-standing unsolved questions: How quickly did life evolve on Earth and why did life persist here? Is there life ...
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Astrophysics: A Very Short Introduction
James Binney
Astrophysics is the physics of the stars and, more widely, the Universe. It explores the structure and evolution of planetary systems, stars, galaxies, interstellar gas, and the cosmos as a ...
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Atheism: A Very Short Introduction
Julian Baggini
Atheism is often considered to be a negative, dark, and pessimistic belief that is characterized by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion. Atheism: A Very ...
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The Atmosphere: A Very Short Introduction
Paul I. Palmer
The atmosphere is the thin, diffuse fluid that envelops the Earth’s surface. Despite its apparent fragility, the existence of this fluid is vital for human and other life on Earth. The ...
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Augustine: A Very Short Introduction
Henry Chadwick
Augustine: A Very Short Introduction traces the development of Augustine's thought, discussing his reaction to the thinkers before him, and themes such as freedom, creation, ...
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Australia: A Very Short Introduction
Kenneth Morgan
Australia: A Very Short Introduction provides a wide-ranging introduction to modern Australia, examining its history, geography, and culture since the beginning of the white ...
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Autism: A Very Short Introduction
Uta Frith
Autism: A Very Short Introduction asks: What causes autism? Is it a genetic disorder, or due to some unknown environmental hazard? Are we facing an autism epidemic? What are ...
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Autobiography: A Very Short Introduction
Laura Marcus
Throughout history, individuals have recorded their own lives and experiences. These personal writings provide an understanding of the ways in which lives have been lived, and the most ...
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The Avant Garde: A Very Short Introduction
David Cottington
The Avant Garde: A Very Short Introduction explores the concept of the ‘avant-garde’ and examines its wider context through the development of western modernity, capitalist ...
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The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction
David Carrasco
The Aztecs: A Very Short Introduction employs the disciplines of history, religious studies, and anthropology as it illuminates the complexities of Aztec life. This VSI looks ...
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Babylonia: A Very Short Introduction
Trevor Bryce
Babylonia: A Very Short Introduction takes us on a journey of more than 2,000 years across the history and civilization of ancient Babylonia, from the emergence of its chief ...
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Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction
Sebastian G.B. Amyes
Bacteria form a fundamental branch of life. They are the oldest forms of life as we know it, and they are still the most prolific living organisms. Bacteria: A Very Short Introduction ...
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Banking: A Very Short Introduction
John Goddard and John O. S. Wilson
Banks are of central importance for economic growth, the allocation of capital, competitiveness, and financial stability. Propelled by technological advances in financial analysis and ...
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Barthes: A Very Short Introduction
Jonathan Culler
Roland Barthes: A Very Short Introduction elucidates the varied theoretical contributions of Roland Barthes, whose lifelong fascination was with the way people make their world ...
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The Beats: A Very Short Introduction
David Sterritt
The Beats: A Very Short Introduction offers an overview of the social, cultural, and aesthetic sensibilities of the Beats, bringing out the similarities that connected them, ...
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Beauty: A Very Short Introduction
Roger Scruton
Beauty: A Very Short Introduction explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object — either in art, in nature, or the human form — beautiful. It strongly refutes the ...
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Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction
Michelle Baddeley
Behavioural Economics: A Very Short Introduction introduces the field of behavioural economics, analysing the motivations behind economic decisions and showing the relevance of ...
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Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction
John Sutherland
Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction shows that bestseller lists monitor one of the strongest pulses in modern literature and are therefore worthy of serious study. It lifts ...
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The Bible: A Very Short Introduction
John Riches
The Bible: A Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures. Why has the Bible generated such a variety of uses and ...
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Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction
Eric H Cline
Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction examines the origins of biblical archaeology as a discipline and the major controversies that first prompted explorers to go in ...
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Big Data: A Very Short Introduction
Dawn E. Holmes
Since long before computers were even thought of, data has been collected and organized by diverse cultures across the world. Once access to the Internet became a reality for large swathes ...
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Biography: A Very Short Introduction
Hermione Lee
Biography: A Very Short Introduction looks at the origins and development of biographical writing. Why do certain people and historical events arouse so much interest? How can ...
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Biometrics: A Very Short Introduction
Michael Fairhurst
Biometrics is the scientific discipline of identifying individuals by means of the measurement of unique personal attributes, such as facial appearance, fingerprints, iris patterning, the ...
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Black Holes: A Very Short Introduction
Katherine Blundell
Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. Black Holes: A Very Short Introduction addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole ...
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Blood: A Very Short Introduction
Chris Cooper
Blood is vital to most animals. In mammals it transports oxygen and food, carries away waste, and contains the white cells that attack invading microbes. Playing a central role in life, ...
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The Blues: A Very Short Introduction
Elijah Wald
The Blues: A Very Short Introduction surveys a genre which lies at the heart of American culture. Blues is more of a broad musical tradition than a musical genre, with a ...
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The Body: A Very Short Introduction
Chris Shilling
The human body is thought of conventionally as a biological entity, with its longevity, morbidity, size, and even appearance determined by genetic factors immune to the influence of society ...
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Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction
J. L. Heilbron
Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction covers the life and work of the pioneer of the quantum theory of the atom who ranks with Einstein in importance for the development of ...
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The Book of Common Prayer: A Very Short Introduction
Brian Cummings
The Book of Common Prayer is one of the most influential books in history. For nearly six centuries, it has formed the order of worship for established Christianity in England, and is now ...
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The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction
Terryl L. Givens
The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction examines the Book of Mormon primarily in terms of the claims that its narrators make for its historical genesis, its purpose as a ...
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Borders: A Very Short Introduction
Alexander C. Diener and Joshua Hagen
Borders: A Very Short Introduction challenges the perception of borders as passive lines on a map, revealing them instead to be integral forces in the economic, social, ...
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The Brain: A Very Short Introduction
Michael O'Shea
How does the brain work? The Brain, A Very Short Introduction provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how ...
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Branding: A Very Short Introduction
Robert Jones
Branding: A Very Short Introduction discusses the rising omnipresence of brands, and analyses how they work their magic. It considers the incredible potency of brands as a ...
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The BRICS: A Very Short Introduction
Andrew F. Cooper
In the wake of the post-Cold War era, the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the emergence of the G20, few commentators expected a reshaping of the global system ...
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The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction
Martin Loughlin
The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction explores one of the most unusual constitutional arrangements in the world. It considers the scope and nature of the British ...
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The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction
Ashley Jackson
The British Empire: A Very Short Introduction explores how the British Empire became so powerful and far-reaching. From the eighteenth century until the 1950s the British ...
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British Politics: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Tony Wright
British Politics: A Very Short Introduction examines the British political system and what makes it distinctive. It identifies the key characteristics and ideas of the British ...
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Buddha: A Very Short Introduction
Michael Carrithers
The Buddha: A Very Short Introduction examines the complex and sometimes conflicting information that Buddhist texts give about the life and teaching of the Buddha. What can we ...
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Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
Damien Keown
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction introduces the reader to the teachings of the Buddha and to the workings of Buddhism in daily life. It looks at the distinctive features of ...
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